Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 7, 2026

Controlled Synthesis and Fluorescence Tracking of Highly Uniform PolyN-isopropylacrylamide Microgels
Published on: September 8, 2016
Theoretical Insight into Dispersion of Silica Nanoparticles in Polymer Melts
Zhaoyang Wei1, Yaqi Hou1, Nanying Ning1
1†State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, and ‡Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
Silica nanoparticles dispersed in polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and poly(ethylene oxide) melts have been investigated using a density functional approach. The polymers are regarded as coarse-grained semiflexible chains, and the segment sizes are represented by their Kuhn lengths. The particle-particle and particle-polymer interactions are calculated with the Hamaker theory to reflect the relationship between particles and polymer melts. The effects of particle volume fraction and size on the particle dispersion have been quantitatively determined to evaluate their dispersion/aggregation behavior in these polymer melts. It is shown that theoretical predictions are generally in good agreement with the corresponding experimental results, providing the reasonable verification of particle dispersion/agglomeration and polymer depletion.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution
Polymer Classification: Crystallinity
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

